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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  BJP leaders in West Bengal visit Purulia after killing of 2 party supporters
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BJP leaders in West Bengal visit Purulia after killing of 2 party supporters

BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu led a rally in Purulia on Tuesday and said such programs will continue in the district as long as the accused are not arrested

BJP activists in a rally against recent killings of Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar in Purulia, allegedly by the Trinamool Congress workers, in Kolkata on 2 June. Photo: PTIPremium
BJP activists in a rally against recent killings of Trilochan Mahato and Dulal Kumar in Purulia, allegedly by the Trinamool Congress workers, in Kolkata on 2 June. Photo: PTI

Kolkata: Local Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in West Bengal have rushed to Purulia district, a former Maoist stronghold, after two party supporters were killed, allegedly by Trinamool Congress goons.

Though the district police have rejected the allegation that these were political murders, the BJP leadership has claimed that former Maoists who found shelter in the Trinamool Congress are behind these murders.

Trilochon Mahato and Dulal Kumar were found dead in Purulia’s Balarampur block on 30 May and 2 June. While Mahato (18) was found hanging from a tree with a message scribbled on the back of his t-shirt, Kumar (32) was found hanging from a transmission tower.

Purulia is one of the districts where the BJP fared well in the recent West Bengal panchayat elections. The party secured more than 33% of the gram panchayat seats in this district. It won 645 of 1944 gram panchayat seats, 142 of 446 panchayat samiti seats and 9 of 38 zilla parishad seats in Purulia. According to BJP leaders both Mahato and Kumar had actively campaigned for the party.

That the BJP will up its ante banking upon these two deaths became clear when party president Amit Shah took to twitter criticising the state government and the state of law and order in the state.

On Tuesday Sayantan Basu, the party’s general secretary led a rally in Purulia and said such programs will continue in the district as long the accused are not arrested. “Maoists who later joined Trinamool Congress, post 2011 are behind these killings," Basu said. He also alleged that the local police are not taking adequate action against the accused.

The state government has ordered the Crime Investigation Department to probe both the murders. Joy Biswas, former superintendent of police of the district was transferred after he said Mahato was killed due to a family feud and Kumar committed suicide.

Akash Magharia, the new superintendent referred to Kumar’s post- mortem report and said the death was caused “due to asphyxia due to hanging, anti-mortem and suicidal in nature." Following Magharia’s press conference Partha Chattopadhyay, secretary general of the Trinamool Congres said the BJP is trying to politicise dead bodies since it has no other issues to highlight. “They are trying to malign our party," he said.

However, BJP leaders have discarded such theories. “How can one say if Kumar has committed suicide by simply referring to a post mortem report?" Basu said. He added that the party is planning to move court seeking a CBI probe into the killings.

Kumar’s family also disagreed with claims of the police. He had been missing since Friday night and was found dead the next day. “We have no financial problems, why will he kill himself?" said Mahabir, Kumar’s father.

The 12-hour strike called by the BJP on Sunday in Purulia district affected life partially.

Amit Shah is likely to visit West Bengal at the end of this month, according to Dilip Ghosh, state BJP president. “Keeping the recent violence against our workers in mind, he might also visit Purulia during his visit," Ghosh added.

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Published: 06 Jun 2018, 11:37 AM IST
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